A Deception Dodged

The dark-haired stranger reaches for your arm and you, bemused, allow him to pull you into a nearby room – the room with the seal upon the door…!

“Who are you?” you demand, as soon as you have entered the suite.

The one-eyed man turns toward you, putting his back against the door. “Do you not know me, my love? It is I, Duke Dashington, your fiancé!”

“Nonsense,” you scoff. “I’ve never even met you.”

The goateed man looks stricken, and steps toward you, grasping your shoulders as the tentacle-beasts of Gtarnign grasp their prey, except with far less mucous. “Oh, darling! It is as I had feared! The amnesia has robbed your memory of our love as a thief might rob a delicate jewelry box of a heart-shaped pendant!”

“Aha!” you intuit. “Now I see your plan! You hoped to take advantage of me whilst I was in a memory-less state, but what you don’t know is that I know who I am, and I know that I don’t know who you are, and thus you cannot possibly be who you say you are!”

Your would-be deceiver looks confused for a moment, but quickly recovers. “I actually am Duke Dashington,” he explains, “but you’re correct that you and I are not affianced. And now that I have witnessed your considerable intellect and powers of reasoning, as well as your astonishing beauty, I am utterly ashamed that I tried such a low, unworthy trick. Indeed, I hope you will forgive me, though I doubt that I could ever forgive myself!”

He blinks his single eye rapidly, and a single, diamond-like tear slides down his cheek.

“But before I have the chance to perish from shame, I fear, dear Princess Xanastasia, that you and I are both in imminent danger of perishing from mercenaries!”

“O, what shall we do?” you gasp.

“Can you wield a zathwop bladearm?” the Duke demands.

“Indeed I can, sir!” you assert. “But my true specialty is in the ancient art of Boot Sway. I won many a trophy for my school when I was at the Royal Riadorfan Academy For Young Ladies Of Quality And Distinction!”

“Sweet Proet!” Dashington exclaims. “Accomplished as well as beautiful!”

His monocular gaze lingers for a moment upon your lips, and then, before you can react, he has crushed you to his manly chest and pressed his mouth to yours!

O! How to respond?

1) You return Dashington’s kiss! How can you not thrill to the touch of a man who appreciates your skill with the martial space-arts?

2) There’s no time for this nonsense! The mercenaries may attack at any moment!

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